Palestine Comedy Club is a warm, funny and deeply human documentary following six Palestinian comedians as they tour a stand-up show across Palestine and Israel, navigating checkpoints, borders and cultural divides to bring laughter to communities rarely seen together.
With no tradition of regular comedy clubs in Palestine, the comedians must earn comic licence with wildly different audiences in Haifa, Ramallah, Jenin, Hebron and the Golan Heights. What emerges is a sharp, moving and unexpectedly joyful portrait of humour as resistance, and as a way of holding onto humanity in the face of injustice.
The film culminates in the comedians? first international performances in London, beginning tragically on 7 October 2023, as war breaks out back home. Suddenly, laughter becomes not just entertainment, but an existential act of connection.
This special event screening, co-hosted with Falasteen on Film and Reel Brum, will be accompanied by a live stand-up set and a Q&A with members of the Palestine Comedy Club collective, giving audiences a chance to hear directly from the comedians behind the film about comedy, creativity, and cultural survival.
Falasteen on Film is a grassroots film collective dedicated to amplifying Palestinian voices on screen through cinema, community screenings and conversation. Their partnership ensures the event is rooted in solidarity, context and lived experience.
Premiering at major festivals including IDFA, DOC NYC, SXSW London, Sheffield DocFest and Raindance, where it won the Raindance Spirit Award, Palestine Comedy Club has been praised for centring Palestinian joy, intimacy and everyday humour at a time when these stories are rarely told.
"An extraordinary documentary an unmissable watch." -Cineuropa
"A really important piece of filmmaking".- Misan Harriman
A powerful, funny and deeply moving night of cinema, conversation and live performance.
